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HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — The student who died in Tuesday’s shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Colorado has been identified and is being credited with helping save the lives of his classmates.

Douglas County Coroner Jill Roman has identified the deceased victim as 18-year-old Kendrick Ray Castillo. He was a senior at the school.

“Kendrick lunged at [the suspect], and he shot Kendrick, giving all of us enough time to get underneath our desks, to get ourselves safe, and to run across the room to escape,” senior Nui Giasolli said in an interview Wednesday morning with NBC News.

Giasolli said it began when one of the suspects arrived late to class on Tuesday. “The next thing I know, he is pulling a gun and is telling nobody to move,” he told NBC News.

“I want families to get back to being families and engage with their kids. You know, we did that successfully with our kid. We lost him because he was selfless and he gave up his life,” John Castillo said.

An 18-year-old man and a juvenile female, both students, are accused of going into the school through an entrance without metal detectors, then opening fire at two locations.